Delta Air Lines Flight 1708 had to abort a planned takeoff from Alabama’s Huntsville International Airport after the plane’s engine started smoking.

Crew members spotted the smoke, and the takeoff was stopped at 10:55 a.m. Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. The plane went back to the gate and the passengers got off.

There were 114 passengers and five crew members on the plane at the time of the incident, a Delta spokesperson told Huntsville’s WAFF.

“Delta pilots followed procedures to safely suspend takeoff at low speed after indication of an engine issue. The aircraft returned to the gate. … We apologize to our customers for the delay in their travels,” Delta said in a statement, according to WAFF.

Flight 1708 eventually departed from Huntsville for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport just before 5 p.m., according to FlightAware, which didn’t specify whether the plane was the same one that was aborted.

The FAA said it’s investigating the incident.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.